Flying in for your cruise? You’re definitely not alone. Cruises leave from every part of the country that has a coastline, so it’s likely you have a port within driving distance. But that doesn’t mean every port offers the same cruise options.
Want the biggest and newest ships? Then you’ll need to sail from Florida. Want to sail to Alaska? Then it’s a cruise from Seattle. Visiting Mexico? Then you’ll need to head most likely to Texas or California to sail.
All that means millions of people fly in for cruises around the country each year. And with cruise ships being on tight schedules, you might be wondering when exactly you should arrive on your flight to make sure you make the ship on time.
You *Should* Fly in the Day Before, but it’s OK to Fly in the Morning Of the Cruise
We want to be clear about something, the best advice when flying in for a cruise is to fly into the port city the day before you cruise.
When you fly in the day before, you remove the rush that comes with flying into port the day before. There’s no stress of getting to the airport, going through security, getting a ride to the port and going through the cruise check-in all in the span of a single morning. As well, many cruise departure ports are destinations in themselves.
Most importantly, however, flying in the day before allows you plenty of time should there be any flight delays. Between weather, long security lines, computer malfunctions, and more, it seems like there are more delays than ever.
But if we’re honest, flying in the day before can add a major expense. First, you’re adding an entire day to your vacation. For people that have to take off work, that can be a big sacrifice. As well, you have to pay for a hotel and meals the day before you cruise.
That’s why we’d suggest flying in a day early, but if you fly on the day of the cruise, you’re usually fine. The only rule: make sure there are no connecting flights. If you fly on the same day you cruise, make sure you’re only flying non-stop. An extra connection can cause more issues than it’s worth.
What Time Should You Arrive on Your Flight?
So, you’ve decided to fly in on the day of the cruise and you’ve ensured that you’re only flying direct to the port city.
What time should you schedule your flight so that you arrive in time to make the ship? As a rule of thumb, we like to have a flight scheduled to arrive at the very latest of 12:30 p.m. for most airport/cruise port combinations. However, we prefer to arrive before noon if possible.
Below, we’ve listed arrival times for most airports and cruise ports. This is one time, however, where the earlier you arrive, the better.
We all know that planned arrival times are just estimates. There can be departure delays that mean you arrive later, or weather on the flight’s route that it has to go around and takes the flight longer. Even when you land there could be a delay to get to the gate.
Then there is also the time it takes to get off the plane, collect your bags, and then catch a ride to the port. You also have the time it takes to check-in once at the cruise port. (The good news is that if you arrive later in the day, there’s likely to be few people in the terminal, making check-in a breeze.)
In other words, baking in an extra cushion is a good thing.
As well, you also need to consider your ship’s departure time. Most cruises leave somewhere between 4-5 p.m., and passengers need to be boarded at least 90 minutes before that time. There are cases where a ship may leave earlier or later, which can change the time you need to arrive by.
You Might Have Plenty of Time Before the Cruise, But Why Stress?
While we personally fly in the day of a cruise, there’s no arguing that for some people it can be stressful until you actually have your feet on the ground at the port.
That why there’s really no reason to push the limit when it comes to a late arrival on port day. If you have a choice between an earlier flight and a later one that same day, always pick the earlier flight.
And if you don’t have an option that arrives before the latest times shown above? In that case look to fly in the day before.
Wondering about what’s the earliest time to schedule a flight after the cruise? See our article here.
